Can drainer



Feb. 9, 1932. A. R. THOMPSON CAN DRAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original FiledJan. 2, 1930 INVENTOR, J/JM Z m BY flow? r/ZM/T ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 9, 1932. THOMPSON 1,843,997

CAN DRAINER Original Filed Jan. 2, 1930 2 Sheets-$heet 2 VENTOR,

JZ a-Ct 64071. BY o-MZ Haw/Z.

ATTORNEYS.

Original application filed J'anuar y z,

Patented Feb. 9, 1932 T D ATES v ALBERT R. THOMPSON, (OF sA-NJosE,CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T0 ANnERsoN iBARN mesa? PATENTIHOFFIQCEVG-ROVE'R'MFG. 00., or sen JOSE, CALIFORNIA, A oonPoRA'rIoN-onCALIFORNIA can DBAINER This is a division ot my pending application,Serial No-418,009, filed-January2nd,

1930, for can feeders andtimers'.

The invention herein relates, generally, to

' machines used in the canningart, knownas' It particularly relates tothat can-drainers; type of such machines disclosed inmy pendingapplicationSerial No. 319,283,'filed Nov.

14th, 1928, inwhich a travelingmember following the inverting andreverting sinuosity of a can-path,car ries at intervals drain-coverstimed for ElSSQClfifDlOIl with the enter ng cans and separated by spacesof sufficient length to permit them to freely follow Withorder'topermitthemto freely follow the sinu-f osity of the can path, the :matter of:feeding the cans to said path, both astocontrol and timing becomes'ofvital moment, since'the cans which initially reach the feeding 'memgbers in close line formation must. be appreciably'spaced from eachotherand positively I controlled during *theirTadvanGe by and 1* throughtheieeder, i n order to enter thedrainer can-path in timely relation tothe appreciably spaced drain-covers} Thus, the object herein s toprovide such an improved can-drainer; and tofthis endmy'inventionmaybri'efiy be stated to'fconsist in a can-drainer having asinuousican-invertg ing and reverting track extending throughout themachine; a'traveling member follow ingthe sinuosity of said trackthroughout the length thereof; afpl'urality or series of spaced In theaccompanying drawings I have drain-covers carried by said members "adapted to cover, hold, propel and release the cans upon said track; meansforadvancingaa-file' of cans to and upon said track; and'means forincreasingly, changing,- under positive control, the spaced relationofthe cans inthe feeding file while upon said advancing means,

adapting them for timely association vwith the drain covers;

:spirit' of the invention as defi s'hownmy can-drainer'in its preferredform, though iti'must beunderstood that changes 1930; Seria1 No.418,009.Divided and thisapplication filed November 22,1330, Serial No. 497,55].Y i t 1 r V may he made without departing from the j claims hereuntoappended.

In the drawings, Fig.- 1 1s'a side elevation of my can-drainer.

""FigNQhiS-a section on'the' line 2-2 of Fig. 1.1," t I V Fig. 3 isaview of the "screw for increas-' ingly spacing the cans of the enteringfile.

' Fig. 4 is" Fig. 1. 'In Fi the thread 2 of which has an increasing leadand an increasing thickness, preferably rimhollowed or. doubled, to savemetal, asshown at3. i I

In Figs. 1 and 2' is disclosed the improved can-drainer. f

"A framekhas within it a vertically tortuversion and reversionof thecans according to the usual'function of such machines, and ithas also anendless traveling member [6 sion of said cans, and then to separate'trom them asthey are again u ight d;

g. 3, the timing member 1 is a screw, i

a section on'the line r 011501; sinuous can-track -5adapted for theinwhichcarries at propergintervals, drain-cow ersf"? adapted to descenduponthe open tops 7 of the entered cans, and'to maintain ieuchassociation during the inversion "and revertically is an extension ofthe drain can track 5, and which by'its upturned side as seen in 'Fig.-2 forms a guide for the cans.

Associated with this track is a traveling memberlO, the two forming acan-feeder to the ter advanced into the machine; Under-and to" one sideof the upper run of the feeder member 10 lies the timer-screw 1,-thethread 2 of which is'in' position-to engage from be low a rear cor ner'ofthe'cans-17, said thread 2 extending through a cut-out section of thetrack 9', and pressing the cans -against the ,drainer, the cans restinguponthe track 9 V and member 10, and by friction with the'latturned upside of the track for complete and continuous control during the advanceof the can file.

Suitable power mechanism is provided to drive the moving members. Forexample, the endless d-rain-cover carrier 6 is mounted upon sprockets11. This carrier is driven by a shaft 12, which in turn is driven bygears 13., Figs. 1 and 4, from a main power shaft 14. The timer screw .1is driven by gear 15 from the gears 13, and the feed member 10 is drivenby bevel gears 16 and a sprocket 1.6, Fig. 1, from the power shaft 14. p

The cans, indicated at 17, previously washed and filled with thecomestible, but as yet uncapped, are supplied upright to the feedermember .10. Whatever may be the means, not necessary .to show herein,for so supplying them, it must be noted that they reach and aredelivered to said member in a close, file in which they touch eachother. Obviously, if they continued in such close file, they could notmeet their respective drain-covers 7 with timely precisioinboth becauseof the necessarily wide spacing of the covers and because of the absenceof any accurate or positive control of the file as led in by the feedermember. In my present device, iboth timing accuracy and the control ofeach individual of. the procession or file are provided for. Each can asit passes over the outer end of the screw 1 is separately :engaged bythe screw thread 2 and, due to the increasing lead of said thread "asthe tile advances and is opened, is spaced from its neighbors; and also,due to the increasing thickness of said thread each can is stillconfined .and controlled with fitting closeness between the thread coilsand the opposing upturned side of the track 9; so that, with duepredetermined regard to the pitch of the screw thread relatively to thespacing of the drain-covers, and with respect to the relative speed ofrotation of the screw and the travel of the feeder member and that .ofthe drain-cover carrier, the cans are individually controlled and led totheir timely association with said drain-covers. It will thus beseenthat the members 9, 10 and 1 comprise the complete assembly foradvancing, controlling, and widening the spacial relation of the cans asthey are advanced to the machine; and furthermore because of theimmediate proximity of the delivery end of the feed assembly, the cansare passed to the machine track 5 directly and without any othertransfer.

The underlying position of the timing screw which enables it to engagethe bottom edge of the can is to be preferred to an en gagement with itsupper edge as being less possibly destructive to a weaker end of thecan, and less likely to cause jamming. The

upper edge of a can of the universally used.

sanitary type presents an outwardly turned flange having a thin rawedge, easily bent or damaged and likely to cause considerable frictionagainst the rubbing surface of the screw thread, whereas the bottom edgeof such a can, being a finished seam, presents a smooth round surface.

The contact between the feed member 10 and the can being frictionalonly, it is preferable, though not essential, to cause said member totravel at speedsomewhat greater than the normal or average speed ofadvance of the cans. By so doing, the conveyorinember has some tendencyto accelerate" and therefore separate the cans 'as they come within itssphere of influence, thereby assisting the screw in its acceleratingfunction and reducing the friction between its thread and the can. Thetiming function, however, is performed solely by the screw, because suchfunction necessitates positive engagement with the can.

1. A can-drainer comprising a sinuous can-inverting and reverting track;a moving series of spaced drain-covers following the sinuos-ity of saidtrack and adapted for fit-.

ting, propelling and releasing the respective members of a line ofcorrespondingly spaced cans upon said track; means associated with thereceiving end of said track for feeding a line of cans thereto; andmeans for increasingly widening the spacial relation of the cans of saidiii-feeding line for timely association with said draincovers.

2. Av can-drainer com-prising a sinuous can-inverting and revertingtrack a moving series of spaced drain-covers following the sinuosity ofsaid track and adapted for fitting, propelling and releasing therespective members of a line of correspondingly spaced cans upon saidtrack; means associated with the receiving end of said track for feedinga line of cans thereto,- and means for increasingly widening the spacialrelation of the cans of said in-feeding line for timely association withsaid drain-covers and holding them under control throughout the infeed.

3. A. can-drainer comprising a sinuous can-inverting and revertingtrack; a moving series of spaced drain-covers following the sinuosity ofsaid track and adapted for fitting, propelling, and releasing therespective members of a line of correspondingly spaced cans upon saidtrack; means associated with the receiving end'of said track for feedinga line of cans thereto; and a screw, the thread of which has anincreasing lead engaging the cans of said in-feeding line to open thefile for the timely association of its members with said drain-covers.

4. 'A can-drainer comprising a sinuous can-inverting and revertingtrack; a moving series of spaced drain-covers following the sinuosity ofsaid track and adapted for fitting, propelling and releasingtherespective' members of a line of correspondingly spaced c ans uponsaidtrack; means associated with the receiving end of said track forfeeding a line of cans thereto; a screw, the thread of with saiddrain-covers; and a fixed guide adapted in conjunction with said screwto control the cans of said i i-feeding line. 1

5. A can-drainer comprising a; sinuous can-inverting and revertingtrack; a travel-e 'ing member following the sinuosity'ofsaid track; aseries of spaced drain-covers carried by said traveling member adaptedfor fitting, propelling and releasing the respective members of a. lineof correspondinglyspaced cans upon said trackimea-ns associated with thewhich has an increasing lead engaging the cans of said in-feeding lineto open the file for the timely association of-its members with saiddrain-covers. v a

6. A can-drainer comprising a sinuous can-inverting and reverting track;a traveling member following the sinuosity of said track; a series ofspaced drain-covers carried by said traveling member adapted forfitting,

propelling and releasing the respective mem-' bers of a line ofcorrespondingly spacedcans upon said track; means associated with thereceiving end of said track for feeding a line of cans thereto; a screw,the thread of which has an increasing lead engagingthe cans of saidin-feeding line to open the file for the timely association of itsmembers with said I drain-covers; and a fixed guide adapted. in;conjunction with said screw to control the cans of said in -feedingline.

In testimony whereof I name to this specification.

which has an increasing lead engaging the] o 7 cans of said in-feedingline to open the file for the timely association of its membersreceiving endvof saidtrack for feeding a line 7' of cans thereto; and ascrew, the thread of V have signed g ALBERT R. THOMPSON,

